Games, Play and Public Space in the Mediated City, 5 op

This course introduces students to the role of games and play in public space and the public life in cities, and how games and play are impacted on by the introduction of new media technologies – both today and in the past.

First, students will examine theories about how ‘play’ has been broadly understood in relation to public life from different thinkers throughout the 20th century. Second, the course will address how media technologies have influenced the way people interact in urban spaces, both distancing them from and connecting them to others.

Building on these two theoretical foundations, students will then examine practical examples of how digital, non-digital and hybrid games and playful practices have changed the urban environment – including through avant-garde art, festivals, protests, location-based games, and contemporary initiatives aimed at making cities more ‘playable’ for their citizens.